Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. A combination of music vibration and acupuncture stimulation significantly reduced fibromyalgia scores and quality of life scores in participating subjects compared to placebo.
Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain syndrome that can be accompanied by fatigue, headache, sleep disturbances, and depression. In 2005, fibromyalgia affected 5 million Americans at an annual cost per patient of $5, 945 1 with a higher prevalence among women than men (3.4% versus 0.5%) 2.
Because the cause of fibromyalgia remains unknown, definitive treatments are lacking, although supplementation (CoQ10 3) and avoiding chemicals in foods 4 may help. A 2015 study 5 has suggested another approach to fibromyalgia. The study, involved 120 women aged 42 to 54 who were diagnosed with fibromyalgia (according to the criteria of the American College of Rheumatology 6) for an average of 8 years They were administered 1 of 4 treatments (30 women per group):
- Music Only: Listened to a sequence of Bach’s compositions.
- Vibration Therapy: The women were exposed to vibration stimuli on a combination of acupuncture points on the skin using a machine called a Vibro Music stimulator. This machine “consists of a program with various musical tones within a frequency range from 32 to 128 Hertz. Those frequencies were conveyed to the skin at the acupuncture points through the above-described transducers, in addition to being combined with the music and heard through the earphones. The stimuli were intermittent (i.e., 1-minute vibration plus 10-second pause).”
- Music/Vibration Therapy Combination: Used both the music and vibration settings on the Vibro Music Stimulator.
- Placebo: Wore the earphones and had the skin transducers fixed to the skin for 30 minutes, but no sound or vibration was applied.
Five treatments were administered over 20 days. Each patient completed a questionnaire on their fibromyalgia symptoms 7 as well as a questionnaire on their quality of life 8 before and after the study.
At the completion of five treatments, the following results were noted:
| Fibromyalgia Symptoms | Control | Music Only | Vibration Only | Music/Vibration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fibromyalgia Score | 12.9% decrease (76.93 to 67.01) | 16.1% decrease (71.75 to 59.53) | 12.9% decrease (68.10 to 59.33) | 17.9% decrease (74.49 to 53.76) |
| p-value | 0.035 | 0.024 | 0.001 | < 0.001 |
| Quality of Life | Control | Music Only | Vibration Only | Music/Vibration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HAQ Score | 8% decrease (1.75 to 1.61) | 15.7% decrease (1.85 to 1.56) | 21.2% decrease (1.75 to 1.38) | 25.4% decrease (1.93 to 1.44) |
| p-value | 0.016 | 0.008 | 0.015 | < 0.001 |
The researchers addressed the significant improvement in the control group in the fibromyalgia score, stating that “the placebo effect in fibromyalgia may be substantial”. However, they admitted that “comparison between groups revealed that the complete group had the greatest reduction in both fibromyalgia score and quality of life”. This led them to conclude that “the combined use of music and vibration exerts a greater effect on fibromyalgia symptoms.”
Source: Augusto Weber et al. Effects of music in combination with vibration in acupuncture points on the treatment of fibromyalgia. The Journal of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine Volume 00, Number 0, 2015, pp. 1–6; DOI: 10.1089/acm.2014.0199
Posted March 7, 2017.
Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com.
References:
- (CDC) CfDCaP. Fibromyalgia. 2015; Overview of fibromyalgia. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/basics/fibromyalgia.htm. Accessed February 26, 2017, 2017.
- Lawrence RC, Felson DT, Helmick CG, et al. Estimates of the prevalence of arthritis and other rheumatic conditions in the United States: Part II. Arthritis & Rheumatism. 2008;58(1):26-35.
- Cordero MD, Alcocer-Gómez E, de Miguel M, et al. Can coenzyme q10 improve clinical and molecular parameters in fibromyalgia? : Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. 140 Huguenot Street, 3rd Floor New Rochelle, NY 10801 USA; 2013.
- Massey PB. Chemicals in Foods May Worsen Fibromyalgia Symptoms. 2013; How chemicals in foods may exacerbate fyibromyalgia symptoms. Available at: http://www.naturalhealthresearch.org/chemicals-in-foods-may-worsen-fibromyalgia-symptoms/. Accessed February 27, 2017, 2017.
- Weber A, Werneck L, Paiva E, Gans P. Effects of Music in Combination with Vibration in Acupuncture Points on the Treatment of Fibromyalgia. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2015;21(2):77-82.
- Wolfe F, Clauw DJ, Fitzcharles MA, et al. The American College of Rheumatology preliminary diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia and measurement of symptom severity. Arthritis care & research. 2010;62(5):600-610.
- Marques AP, Santos AMB, Assumpção A, Matsutani LA, Lage LV, Pereira CAB. Validation of the Brazilian version of the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ). Revista Brasileira de Reumatologia. 2006;46(1):24-31.
- Pincus T, Summey JA, Soraci SA, Wallston KA, Hummon NP. Assessment of patient satisfaction in activities of daily living using a modified Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire. Arthritis & Rheumatology. 1983;26(11):1346-1353.
